Tarrant fury after boat fire

Award-winner: Millionaire host Chris Tarrant

Quiz show host Chris Tarrant has said he is "outraged" after an arson attack destroyed his motor launch on the River Thames.

His vessel, the Ben Gunn, which was moored at East Molesey, Surrey, was gutted in the fire in the early hours of Wednesday morning.

The 53-year-old presenter said his family often slept on the craft, which he bought 10 years ago.

A statement issued on his behalf said the Who Wants To be A Millionaire? presenter was "outraged at the stupidity of the attack".

He later told the Daily Mail: "I am absolutely disgusted by this act of hooliganism. It's potentially put my family in danger because they regularly sleep in the boat.

"My little boy of eight uses it a lot. He could have been killed. I feel depressed and disgusted by it."

Tarrant rose to fame in the mid-1970s presenting the anarchic ITV children's show Tiswas.

For the past 13 years, he has presented the top-rated breakfast show on London radio station Capital FM, while his TV show Who Wants To Be A Millionaire? has won huge ratings for ITV, as well as awards from Bafta and the Royal Television Society.

Its format has also been sold around the world.